Summary

Page one of a hand-written letter on Y.M.C.A. letterhead, from Private Fred Griesbach (service number 681960), of 2/22 London Regiment, to Miss Florence Crossley, c/o Red Cross Society, Newbridge, Victoria. Private Griesbach thanks Miss Crossley for her letter and writes of his family and experience in Egypt.

Description of Content

LETTERS OF APPRECIATION (7) SENT FROM SOLDIERS (AUSTRALIAN AND BRITISH) TO MISS FLORENCE CROSSLEY, C/O RED CROSS SOCIETY, NEWBRIDGE, VICTORIA, 1917-1918. LETTERS DATED, 29.3.1917, 5.5.1917, 6.8.1917, 20.9.1917, 16.11.1917, 12.4.1918 AND 25.3.1918. SOME ON Y.M.C.A. PAPER, TWO ON RED CROSS.

Physical Description

Handwritten letter in pencil on sheet of lined paper with YMCA letterhead printed at the top. Letterhead features illustration of two canons and two red triangle YMCA emblems. The first page of the letter has text on both sides, the second page has text on one side only.

More Information

  • Collection Names

    Military Memorabilia Collection, Returned and Services League (RSL) Collection

  • Collecting Areas

    Arms, Public Life & Institutions

  • Acquisition Information

    Donation & Subsequent Transfer from Victorian Branch, Returned & Services League of Australia Limited (RSL), Mrs M. Ogston, Jan 1983

  • Author

    Private Frederick C. Griesbach - British Army, Alexandria, Egypt, 12 Apr 1918

  • Addressed To

    Miss Florence Crossley - Red Cross Society

  • Organisation Symbolised

    YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association)

  • Inscriptions

    Letterhead: Y.M.C.A./ PATRON/ Y.M.C.A. NATIONAL COUNCIL./H.M. THE KING/For God, for King & For Country./Y.M.C.A/WITH THE MEDITERRANEAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE./Y.M.C.A./PATRON/MILITARY CAMP DEPT/H.R.H. DUKE OF CONNAUGHT. Text: Saturday/ 12- 4-1918/Dear Miss Crossley / Just a few lines to you in answer to your / very nice letter which I received yesterday / and I was very surprised to hear from you / as I was afraid you had not got my letter / I was very bad when i wrote to you last / as I had just had an operation but I / am alright now, that is as well as I / can expect. I am out of hospital now, as / you will see by the address, but I am / not fit yet as I walk with a limp / but that will soon be alright, you think / I have been unlucky , but I should say / I was lucky considering the weather out / here is just getting really warm although / it has not been as cold as we get it / in England, but i think i prefer England / to Egyp?t, although I would sooner be here / than in France. I am going to have / [SECOND PAGE] some photos taken when i can gather / enough pluck and I will send you one if / you would care to have one , as it would / be very handy to put it in the coal cellar to / frighten the rats away. I am now 27 years / of age and I have three brothers and two brothers in law fighting. I have only been / in Egypt about 9 months, as I got to / England when I was wounded last, and was / afterwards drafted out here, but I would / sooner be in Egypt, although it is hot, than be in France again. I belong to than [sic] / little village called London, but as I expect / you have heard all about it I will not try / to describe it. I think I will come to / Australia after the war as I have often / longed to go there. I am near to one / of the large places in Egypt (Alexandria) / and I have been into town several times / as it is only a (half Piastre (sp?)) (1?4d) into / town from the camp. There are plenty of soldiers clubs in Alex: but the native / quarters amused me very much. I think / I will explore the town more thoroughly / and i shal be able to describe it / better next time I write yo you. There /

  • Classification

    Military history, Service, Correspondence

  • Category

    History & Technology

  • Discipline

    Technology

  • Type of item

    Document

  • Overall Dimensions

    203 mm (Width), 250 mm (Height)

  • References

    Information on Private Frederick Charles Griesbach from British Army World War I service records, accessed via Ancestry, 22 June 2016.

  • Keywords

    Letters, Militaria: Australian, Military Memorabilia, World War I, 1914-1918, Soldiers' Comforts